Search
Monday, February 06, 2012..:: Politics » Kansas City, KS::..Register  Login
 Site Menu
  
 Kansas City, KS Minimize

 Kansas City, Kansas Unified Government has been riding the waves of success created by the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City and many rescue groups; groups that have worked their fingers to the bone to save KCK’s adoptable pets.. A huge improvement in the city shelter’s kill rate from years past – 70% in 2007 down to under 1% in 2010 has often been cited in the media.  Even the Unified Govt’s own newsletters are proclaiming they are the only “No Kill” County in all of Kansas!!

 
Well there is something wrong with this picture – Kansas City, KS is still very far from being a pet friendly community or even comprehending what a “No Kill Community” is all about.
 
KCK has many antiquated laws on the books, Pit Bull Ban, Mandatory Spay/Neuter, NO TNR permitted, 2 Dog Limit, Will not Honor Kansas State Authorized Rescue and Foster Licenses. All these laws are unnecessarily driving dogs/cats into the shelter thus costing taxpayers thousands of dollars. There are still too many strays and neglected dogs roaming the streets, so much so, some of KCK’s inner city school children cannot board school buses!! KCK’s Citizens still have to call the media for resolution of dog bite situations! KCK’s Citizens have to call the media to expose their battles with the city over the loss of their beloved pets and the unfair criminal charges they face!.
 
Let’s not forget the murderous “amnesty program” that resulted in 200 KCK’s Citizen’s beloved innocent dogs’ death – all because KCK Animal Control did not respond to Jimmie Mae McConnell’s many, many phone calls about her neighbor’s “dangerous dogs”.
 
Kansas City, KS needs change in leadership to move into the 21st Century – they need city leaders that actually care about public safety and dangerous dogs and responsible pet owners rights.   KCK needs leaders that will work with groups like K C Dog Advocates to protect all citizens and their pets, in “all” parts of the city.
 
So VOTE!! in the general election on April 5th.  (Updates on candidates and current city leader’s stance on Animal Welfare Issues coming soon.) 
 Print   
 Politicians Minimize

Current Commissioners. * Indicates incumbant not up for re-election Spring 2011.

Commissioner-at-Large, District 1 : Rev Mark Holland
Commissioner-at-Large, District 2 : John J Mendez
Commissioner, District 1 : Nathaniel Barnes
Commissioner, District 2 : WM. J. (Bill) Miller
Commissioner, District 3 : Ann Brandau-Murguia
Commissioner, District 4 : Mark Mitchell
Commissioner, District 5 : Mike Kane
Commissioner, District 6 : Patricia Huggins Pettey
Commissioner, District 7 : Thomas R. Cooley
Commissioner, District 8 : Benoyd M. Ellison

Mayor
 
*Joe Reardon - incumbent  Has not listened to citizens with pet issues unless they live in the high dollar neighborhoods like Piper, then he arranges for those citizens to have all their criminal charges dropped and see a local vet who confirms what breed of dog the pet owner has.   Despite other citizens approaching him on the same issues other owners had to spend $1,000's of dollars to defend themselves in court and fight to get their dogs back home.  Other citizens have approached Mayor with issues of AC ineffectiveness in the field and at the city pound, laws not conducive to those who want to foster animals in their homes, the mandatory spay-neuter ordinance money that was never made available to low income people both the $30,000 that a private citizen wanted to donate to that cause and the $160,000 Mayor Reardon promised to put into that program from the city budget.  He spearheaded the pit bull amnesty program in 2006 and unleashed AC into the private yards to harass pet owners and steal their dogs.  The results a city that still has so many stray dogs and packs of dogs, school children in some of the inner city neighborhoods can't get on the school bus to attend school.  The principal of one of the schools asked the Mayor and city commissioners for help at a city council meeting.  To date nothing has been done.
 
Commissioner at Large Dist #1

Mark Holland  -- Incombuant
Mike Gilstrap  -- no info at this time
 
Commissioner at Large Dist #2

*John Mendez - Has been a prior city commissioner.  Part of the good ol boy system. One of the key items of his platform is "public safety", however in a one on one conversation regarding the poor performance of AC in the field, no accountability by AC for their portion of the city budget, innocent pet owners being subjected to Constitutional violations of their rights, high fines, having to move out of the city to keep their pets Mr. Mendes response - "He can't justify hiring more AC officers."  
  
Commissioner Dist #1
 
*Nathan Barnes - Part of the good ol boys network of city politics.
Commissioner Dist #2
 
Brian McKiernan
 
Commissioner Dist #3
Josie Tanner-Sailler
 
Ann Murguia -- Incumbent
 
Commissioner Dist #4 

Clayton Hunter

Tarence Maddox   

Commissioner Dist #5
 
 *Mike Kane - Part of the good ol boy network of city politics.  He is on the Public Works and Safety Committee, has sat through two presentations of AC issues and solutions that would work and has yet to make one comment. 
 

Commissioner Dist #6

Angela Markley

Pat "Petey" Huggins  -- Incumbant 

Commissioner Dist # 7
 
*Tom Cooley  - Part of the good ol boy network of city politics.  He is a member of the Public Works and Safety Committee, he sat through the first presentation of AC issues with breed identification and who is being victimized and the costs.  No comments made at the first presentation, but he gets a bit of a repreive.  150 angry carports owners gave several hours of presentation and debate prior to the presentation by KCDA. 
 
Commissioner Dist #8
 
*Butch Ellison - Part of the good ol boy network.  He is on the Public Works and Safety Committee.  He listened to the 2nd KCDA presentation on AC issues and solutions.  At the end of the presentation Butch mentioned that he and the rest of the committee had a month ago banned another breed of dog, they thought.  After research it was discovered the amendment to the pit bull ban the committee had passed for the city legal dept was not a ban of another breed of dog, but an amendment to order the head of AC to prepare a booklet about the breeds banned in KCK and their identifying characteristics as AC understands it.  This booklet is to be prepared at tax payer expense and distributed through the local neighborhood groups. It's not sure how a booklet with words and possibly pictures of dogs is going to make the community any safer.  Butch looked around at his fellow committee members when he realized the presentation made a lot of scense, but wondered how the rest of the public would perceive any change in the ordinance.  Since he knew this was an upcoming election year he and his fellow commissioners were more concerned with votes than public safety.  
 
 
 
 
 
Link to the Election Board website to register to vote, etc
 

 
 Print   
 City Links Minimize
 Print   
Copyright 2010 by KCDA   Terms Of Use  Privacy Statement
DotNetNuke® is copyright 2002-2012 by DotNetNuke Corporation